Chusetts



(No Model.)

0. HITGHGOOK & E. M. CHAPMAN.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

No. 394,182. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HITCHCOCK AND EUGENE M. CHAPMAN, OF HOLYOKE, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,182, dated December11, 1888.

Application filed April 23, 1888. $eria1 No. 271,617. (No model.)

- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES HITCHCOCK and EUGENE M. CHAPMAN, citizensof the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of llampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inBottle-Stopper Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottlestopper mechanism, the object being toprovide for use on bottles containing effervescing compounds and otherliquids improved stopper mechanism; and the invention consists in thepeculiar constructioi'i and, arrangement of the valve of the stopper andits operating mechanism, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a sideelevation of the nose of a bottle having applied thereto stoppermechanism constructed according to our invention, said figure showingthe case containing said mechanism and parts of the latter in sectionand a portion of said mechanism in side elevation, all as hereinafterfully described. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the stopper-case online as, Fig. 1, looking upward, in which figure certain parts areindicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the stopper,showing the outer side of the valve when the latter is shut.

In the drawings, 2 indicates the end of the nozzle of a bottle to whichthe herein-described stopper mechanism is attached. A metallic case, 3,preferably of brass, of cylindrical form, is provided with an enlargedbase, 4, in which is placed a rubber or similar packingring, 5, saidring being interposed between the end of the nozzle 2 of the bottle andsaid base, and by a suitable locking-ring, 6, the said case is securedto the bottle in the position shown in Fig. 1. The said lockingring 6,which is shown in section in Fig. 1, is in practice made of metal,preferably in two segmental sections, one of which is shown in saidfigure, which sections are hooked onto the base 45 in the manner shown,and engaged with the under edge of the collar on the bottle-nozzle 2after said base is placed in position on said nozzle, and then the saidtwo segments of the ring are united by soldering or other similar means.

The discharge end of the stopper-case 3 is reduced in diameter at z toform a valve-seat at that point, and the extreme end of said case ismade to project slightly above said valve-seat in order that the valvemay not-be hit or interfered with when one bottle is placed on another,as is sometimes done to pack them for transportation. Said case issubstantially of tubular form.

Near the lower end of the Si'OPPGPC'HSG 3 an opening is made through theside thereof, in which is rigidly secured a metallic tube, 7, standingat right angles to the length of said case and extending nearly to thecenter thereof. Said tube 7 has a flange, 8, around its inner end, andon the opposite sides of said flange are cemented two packing-rings, 9and 10, preferably of rubber or of other similar yielding substance.

A metallic packing-box, 12, preferably of cylindrical form, is placed onthe tube 7, and incloses the flanged end of the latter and the saidpacking-rings, said packing-box having a free movement longitudinally onsaid tube 7. The said packing-box 12 is first made in cup shape, and theouter end of the tube '7 is passed through one side of itbefore saidtube is secured to the stopper-case, aforesaid, and then the head 0 ofsaid packing-box is soldered tightly to the end of said box. A plunger,13, having a head thereon, as shown, is fitted to move freely withinsaid tube '7, its inner end acting against the inner side of the head 0of the packing-box to move the latter longitudinally on the tube 7.

The purpose of the above-described construction of the flanged tube 7,having the packing-rings 9 and 10 cemented to the flanges thereof, andthe packing-box 12, inclosing the flanged end of said tube and saidpackingrings, is to provide a gas-check or means for preventing any ofthe contents of a bottle to which the within-described stopper may beapplied from escaping between. the plunger 13 and its inclosing-tube,said plunger being adapted to be moved endwise by pressing against itsheaded end to operate devices for opening the valve of the stopper bymoving said packing-box against the end of a lever, as below described.A spring acting against said lever, together with a certain forcederived from the effervescing contents of the bottle, serves to movesaid packing-box and plunger in the opposite direction when the latterleft free to so move. To the end that the packing-rings 9 and 10 may actefficiently for preventing any leakage around the'tube 7 within thepacking-box 12, and between the edges of said'rings and the walls ofsaid packingbox, and thence between the plunger 13 and the inner wallsof the tube 7 said rings are made so easily compressible that under theaction of more or less pressure their peripheries are made to impingeagainst the walls of said packing-box, thereby preventing said leakageand not producing so much frictional resistance to the said movement ofthe packing-box as to interfere with the operation of the valve deviceshereinafter described.

It is obvious that ordinary and well-known means may be employed inconnection with the plunger 13 and the tube 7, within which said plungermovessueh as an ordinary stuffing-box like those in. common use onvalvespindles and hubs applied to the outer end of said tube 7 toprevent the said leakage between said tube and plunger; but saidstuffingbox provided with the common interior packing would cause morefriction than do the above-described packing-box 12 and packing-rings,and therefore prevent the requisite comparatively free sliding movementof the plunger.

The valve 21 of the stopper is of disk form, as shown in Fig. 3, havingan annular groove around its border, in which is placed a packing-ring,23, preferably of rubber, which packing-ring has a bearing against theinclined valve-seat z of the stopper-case, as clearly shown in Fig. 1,when the valve is shut, as there shown, the upper side of the valvebeing of slightly less diameter than that portion of said case above theseat, so that nothing but said packing shall strike the end of thestopper when the valve is shut, thereby insuring a tight fit betweenthepacking and valve-seat. Said valve has fixed to its under side, nearone edge thereof, a downhanging arm, 24. The valve may be made of sheetor cast metal, the former being preferable because of its lightness.

A lever, 14., 11 ving substantially three arms, e, o, and 20, is hung bythe end of said arm r on a pivot-pin, 15, fixed in a projection, e,onone side of the stopper-case 3, on which pin said lever is capable of avibratory motion in a vertical plane, being actuated by theabovedescribed movement of the plunger 13 and the packing-box l2,actuated by the plunger, whereby said box is moved against the lower endof the arm e of said lever. A spring, below described, moves said arm eof the lever in the opposite direction indirectly through the movementof the valve 21. The said arm 20 of the lever 14 is pivotedto the underside of the valve 21 by apin, 22, fixed transversely across said valveto one side of a center line from border to border of said valve.

A bar, 16, (see Fig. 2,) is fixed transversely across and within thestopper-case 3, beneath which is located the main part of said lever1A1, and on said bar 16 is a double coiled spring having downwardly-projecting ends 18, which bear against the inner side of the stoppercase,and having a looped end, 19, extending upward against the under side ofthe valve, said looped part of the spring having the arm 20 of the lever11 extending through it. The said spring 17 serves, by the bearing ofits arm 19 against the valve, to swing the latter to the shut positionshown in Fig. 1, and in so doing to cause the lever 1+1 to vibrate 011its pivot 15, thereby forcing the arm 6 of said lever against the end ofthe packing-box 12, whereby the latter and the plunger 13 are moved tothe position shown in Fig. 1 when the plunger is left free to be soactuated. The said arm 21 on the under side of the valve 21 has itslower end engaging with the said bar 16, on which the spring 1.7 issupported, and when the plunger 13 and the packing-box 12 are movedtoward and against the arm 6 of lever 14: to open the valve of thestopper, whereby said lever and valve are brought to the positions shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1, (wherein the valve is shown nearly fullyopen,) said arm 24 is brought into engagement with the side of said bar16, thereby causing a quickly-vibratory movement of the edge of thevalve opposite to that near which said arm is attached away from thevalve-seat, and the release of the plunger, as aforesaid, permits thevalve to be automatically shut by the action of the spring 17, asaforesaid.

By pivoting the valve to one side of its center, as above described, amore unobstructed opening for the discharge of the contents of a bottleis provided for between the valve when opened and the opposite side ofthe opening at the end of the case than would be had were the valvecentrally pivoted.

The valve 21, constructed as above described, has a plane outer face, asshown in Fig. 3, whereby provision is made for applying to said face bysuitable means a word or words, as shown in said last-named figure, toindicate the contents of the bottle to which said stopper is attached.

Vhat we claim as our invention is l. Bottle-stopper devices consistingof a case, 3, having a valve-seat therein, a valve within said case toshut against said seat, having an arm projecting from its inner side, alever pivoted to one side of said case capable of a vibratory motion ina plane at right angles to the face of said valve, and having a pivotalconnection therewith by one arm and having another arm extending towardthe base of the case, a bar fixed transversely across said case, withwhich the arm on said valve engages, a spring hung on said transversebar having an engagement with the under side of the valve to swing ittoward its seat, and a plunger passing through the side of said caseopposite the end of the said downwardly-extending arm of said lever,combined and operatin g substantially as set forth.

2. The tubular case 3, having a valvc seat atone end, the tube 7, havinga flange on its inner end passing through and fixed in the side of saidcase, packing-1i ngs attached to the opposite sides of saidtlange, andapaeking-box inelosing the inner end of said tube and packing-rings,combined with a plunger within said tube engaging said packing-box, alever pivoted in said case havin one arm extending opposite said box,avalve pivotally connected to an arm on said lever, and a spring toswing said valve to its seat, substantially as set forth.

3. The case 3, having a valve-seat therein and having its upper endextending beyond said seat, combined with a valve of disk form shuttingagainst said seat, the plane of whose outer side is below said upper endof the case, a lever pivoted in said case having said valve pivotedthereon, a spring engaging the under side of said valve, and a plungerpassing through the side of said case opposite one end of said lever,substantially as set forth.

l. In combination, the case 3, the lever ll, pivoted to the inner sideof said case, the valve 21, pivotally attached to said lever and havingthe arm B-l on its under side, a bar, 16, with which said arm engages,fixed across said ease, and a spring engaging with said valve to closeit, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination, the case 3, the lever ll, pivoted. to the inner sideof said ease, the valve 21, pivotally attached to said lever by a pinextending thereacross to one side of its center and having the arm Bl onits under side, a bar, 16, with which said arm engages, fixed acrosssaid case, and a spring engaging with said valve to close it,substantially as set forth.

CHARLES l-IITCHCOCK. EUGENE M. CHAPMAN. \Yitnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

